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The Talk — Youth Asks

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May - July 2003

An Open Letter to Christians, Jews, Muslims

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The Talk — Youth Asks
Questions from Catholic and Jewish Youths

Q. My Catholic friend says, only Christians can be saved. Is that true?
A. The answer is definitely, NO. Certainly, all non-Christians can be saved because God reveals Himself in different ways at different times. It has always been that way. Therefore, the primitive and ancient peoples, who did not know Jesus and the one God, certainly experienced God’s love. Their salvation depended, like that of all of us, on their response to God’s love. Obviously, they had to deal with this in light of their knowledge and experience.

Judaism has always had a special relationship with God. Judaism has had also a special relationship with Christianity for obvious historical and theological reasons. Christianity came out of Judaism. Jews belong to God’s family and they are called to make God’s Kingdom a better place. If they do, like all of us, will definitely be saved even if they cannot accept Jesus as the Son of God.

Q. Some Catholics call Jews, killers of Jesus Christ. I’m offended. Can you clear it up?
A. I will try. Unfortunately, this term, Jews are killers of Jesus comes from a long misinterpreted understanding of Jesus’ day. Unfortunately again, it has led to Anti-Semitism among all Christians including Catholics.

Today, the Catholic Church is trying to clear up this picture. We have heard many statements from the Pope himself saying that Anti-Semitism is a serious sin for Catholics who practice it.

The death of Jesus must be looked at historically. Even though some Jews pressed for the death of Jesus, the Roman authorities were also responsible.

And so, neither all Jews indiscriminately at that time, nor Jews today, can be charged with the death of Jesus. It will take time to accept this view by Catholics and Jews. That is why, our Catholic-Jewish Relations programs are so important. We need to dispel the misinformation.

Q. Can you explain the symbols, B.C. and C.E.?
A. Both Christians and Jews were deeply affected by the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 C.E. (C.E. stands for “Common Era”). It has the same meaning as A.D. (in the year of our Lord). The C.E. term is more ecumenically accepted today. Likewise the term B.C. (before the time of Christ) is generally replaced ecumenically with the term (B.C.E.) (before the common era of Jews).

Q. My Jewish friend is named after a dead person. Why?
A. Interesting question. It is best answered by understanding Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jews. Ashkenazic Jews usually do not name a baby after a living person because they believe it would rob a person of his full life if another member of the family were to carry his name in his lifetime. Sephardic Jews (from Spain, North “Africa, and the Middle East) do not share this belief and do name a baby after a living relative.

Q. I’m a Catholic. My Jewish friend asked me what is the difference between a sermon and a homily of a priest? I couldn’t answer her.
A. No problem. Sermons and homilies are very similar. However, sermons are talks on some moral or religious topic. It usually speaks on how a person should behave as a Christian. Homilies are reflections on the scripture readings and how they apply to today’s world.

Q. Who is a Jew?
A. A Jew is any person whose mother was a Jew or any person who has gone through the formal process of conversion to Judaism. It is important to know that being a Jew has nothing to do with what you believe or what you do. A person born to non-Jewish parents who has not undergone the formal process of conversion but who believes everything that Orthodox Jews believe and observes every law and custom of Judaism is still, even in the eyes of the most liberal movements of Judaism is a Jew. Also a person born to a Jewish mother who is an atheist and never practices the Jewish religion is still a Jew even in the eyes of the Ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Q. My friend is a Jewish-Christian. What does that mean?
A. It means that he/she converted from Judaism to Christianity. They may mean also that they would like everyone to know that their heritage is Jewish. However, he/she are now Christians.

Q. There are Jewish women Rabbis. Why aren’t there Catholic women priests?
A. WOW! What a powerful question. I tread on ground where angels wouldn’t. Well, here we go.

Women played important roles in the early Church. They were prominent female leaders in the early Church. Women like Lydia and Priscilla were well known.

Since 1960, women have begun to take more prominent roles in the Church. They are lectors, Eucharistic ministers, altar servers and parish administrators. Some have become Chancellors of a diocese.

At the present time, the Pope has forbidden any discussion on women priesthood. The future role of women priesthood is only known to God. Who knows?

Q. I was thrilled with my visit to Rome with my Catholic friend. Why is Rome so sacred to Catholics?
A. Basically the answer is that the two most important Christian leaders Peter and Paul were martyred and buried in Rome around 65 A.D. They were buried in a local cemetery. Eventually, a small chapel was built over their tombs, then a larger Church. Now, St. Peter’s Basilica is built over their tombs. Under the main altar, very far down, there is the cemetery. It is historically believed that Peter and Paul were buried there.

Q. How can Jesus be Jewish when He is a Christian?
A. Let’s take it piece by piece. First, Jesus was Jewish. The gospel writers tell us that Jesus was Jewish. We learn that he was completely embedded in Judaism. What we learn is that Jesus is not a member of the Sadducees or the Essenes. He may have been a Pharisee even though he argued with them many times. Second, Jesus founded the religion called Christianity. However all Christians believe that Jesus’ humanity was Jewish but He was the Son of God.

Written by Rev. Dr. Albano and Tom Rich (www.jewfaq.org)